Explore Featured Degree Options in Education

The online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education prepares you to become a transformative K–12 teacher. Through live online classes and enriching field experiences in your community, you can earn your MAT in less than 18 months without relocating.

Vanderbilt University's Peabody College offers an online Master of Education in human development counseling with a specialization in school counseling for students interested in becoming school counselors and making a meaningful difference in K–12 settings.

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Steps to Becoming a Teacher in North Dakota

Important Note: Education licensure requirements, statistics and other information are subject to change. Teach.com makes its best effort to keep content accurate; however, the official sources are the state education departments. Please confirm licensing requirements with your state before applying for licensure or renewal. (Last update: 10/31/2016)

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Prerequisite Coursework in North Dakota

Certified teachers must have at least a bachelor’s degree to teach in any state. Additionally, some states require specific undergraduate credit hours for certification in the areas of specialty. North Dakota’s undergraduate prerequisites are as follows:

The major (in elementary education, middle-level education, or content-specific education at all grade levels) requires a minimum of 32 semester hours of coursework specific to the major beyond the introductory level.

Elementary Education: 34 semester hours or 50 quarter hours of professional education coursework, including at least 12 semester hours in the teaching of elementary school mathematics, science, social studies, reading, and language arts.

Middle-Level Education: Must include study of middle-level foundations, adolescent development, reading in the content areas at the middle level, and special methods of teaching at the middle level. Must hold a minimum equivalent of 24 semester hours of content area preparation and methods in the subject area specializations in which they are teaching.

North Dakota Teacher Certification Programs

Teacher certification programs can be taken online or on-site. They typically include an educational theory and classroom skills seminar and a fieldwork component of student teaching in the area. A list of North Dakota colleges and universities with approved teacher preparation programs can be found on the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board.

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Required Tests for North Dakota

To become a certified teacher in North Dakota, you must complete and pass a basic skills test as well as any subject area competence assessments for the desired subject matter of instruction.

Initial Teaching Certifications

To earn your North Dakota teaching credential you will have to complete the appropriate amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program.

Teacher education programs generally combine both curricula and fieldwork. The curricula typically include instruction on foundational knowledge and skills, pedagogy (or the art and science of teaching), and preparing students to research, design, and implement learning experiences in their field of study. Fieldwork can include student teaching, internships, and field observations.

North Dakota issues a two-year Initial In-State License to first-time applicants and the Five Year Renewal License to applicants who have taught successfully for at least 18 months. Various other licenses exist for special situations.

If you already have a valid teaching credential from another state, you may be eligible to earn your North Dakota credential through interstate reciprocity. See the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board’s Routes to ND Licensure for Out-of-State Educators document for more information.

Earn recognition of your ability to develop and deliver a memorable teaching experience when you receive a premier certificate from Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, in association with HarvardX, upon successful course completion.

Alternative Certification in North Dakota

Aspiring teachers who received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in an area other than education and have not earned a traditional teaching certificate can still become teachers by earning an alternative teaching certificate and satisfying specific requirements. In North Dakota, a one-year Alternate Access License is issued to individuals who have degrees in content areas where a teacher shortage exists. The teacher then meets coursework requirements while teaching in the classroom.

A one-year Interim Substitute License may be issued to individuals with a minimum of 48 semester hours of college coursework to fill in temporarily during a teacher shortage in a particular area.

North Dakota Teacher Benefits and Retirement

The North Dakota Retirement and Investment Office oversees the Teachers’ Fund for Retirement (TFFR), which all North Dakota public school teachers automatically become members of. North Dakota teachers receive benefits from TFFR based on a tier system. Tier 1 benefits are awarded to teachers whose years of service and age equal 85 (for example, 55 years old and 30 years of service). Tier 2 benefits are awarded to teachers whose ages and years of service equal 90. North Dakota teachers are eligible for early retirement at 55 years of age. Tier 1 and Tier 2 benefits are quite similar. For more benefits information, see the TFFR Member Handbook.

North Dakota Teacher Shortage Areas

A teacher shortage occurs when there are not enough teachers in key subject areas, which has been partly caused by years of teacher layoffs during the Great Recession, a growing student population and fewer people entering teacher preparation programs, according to the Learning Policy Institute.

The following is a list of teacher shortage areas in North Dakota for the 2016-17 school year as reported by the U.S. Department of Education. ( see page 65)

Career Advancement

Professional Development for North Dakota Teachers

All schools in North Dakota are required by the Department of Public Instruction to engage in continuous professional development activities; however, the professional development activities or events are left up to the discretion of schools or schools districts, so these activities can vary. Many North Dakota schools participate in group discussion and data charts professional development, in accordance with the national No Child Left Behind Act. To renew an existing license, current teachers must complete a minimum of 4 semester hours of professional development, per the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board.

Benefits of a Master's Degree in North Dakota

In the Bismarck Public Schools, beginning teachers who started out with a master’s degree in the field of education earned $5,685 more annually than teachers who started out with a bachelor’s degree, according to the Bismarck Public Schools 2016–2017 Salary Schedule.

Explore Featured Program Options in Education

The online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from the USC Rossier School of Education prepares you to become a transformative K–12 teacher. Through live online classes and enriching field experiences in your community, you can earn your MAT in less than 18 months without relocating.

The 8-week Teaching and Learning Strategies for Higher Education online short course is delivered by Harvard’s Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, in association with HarvardX. Students in this course will engage deeply with the most relevant research on effective teaching methods in the higher education context, while refining their own practices, portfolio, and teaching philosophy.

Vanderbilt University's Peabody College offers an online Master of Education in human development counseling with a specialization in school counseling for students interested in becoming school counselors and making a meaningful difference in K–12 settings.